Slovak government could acquire Enel's shares in Slovenske Elektrarne

Slovak Government could acquire Enel's shares in electricity company Slovenske Elektrarne (SE), admitted Prime Minister Robert Fico on Friday.
"My Government has always been interested in strengthening the position of the state in strategic companies ... If it emerges that it's advantageous for the state to acquire the shares from Enel, we'll certainly attempt to do this," said Fico.
Czech energy company CEZ has been the only entity so far to announce an interest in SE.
Czech business daily Hospodarske Noviny on Thursday reported that another Czech company, Energeticky a Prumyslovy Holding (EPH), is also interested in buying Enel's shares in SE.
EPH has a strong position on the Slovak market. Last year, it acquired a 49-percent stake along with managerial control of gas utility Slovensky Plynarensky Priemysel.
As much as half of EPH's operating profit is currently made in Slovakia. Nevertheless, a weak point for EPH in the competition could be its huge debt, which is estimated to have reached as much as 3 billion euros (3.89 billion dollars).